The FODMAP diet for Gut Microbiome Restoration in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Document Type : Narrative Review

Authors

1 Department of Management, School of Business, American University in Dubai, Dubai, UAE

2 General Medical Practice, Kamperland, Zeeland, The Netherlands

10.30476/acrr.2025.108357.1256

Abstract

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a multifactorial, debilitating, complex, and chronic disorder of gut-brain
interaction. The Gut microbiota and its metabolites play an important role in the etiology, pathogenesis, and
pathophysiology of IBS. Dietary modulation of the gut microbiome to correct gut microbiota dysbiosis and
restore host-microbe eubiosis is considered an effective strategy for managing IBS. Increasing evidence suggests
that a diet low in fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) can beneficially
modulate the gut microbiota.
The objective of this narrative review is to elucidate how a FODMAP diet impacts the gut microbiome.
Understanding how this diet influences gut microbial communities is crucial for understanding the potential
long-term health consequences of this dietary regimen. This nuanced understanding can inform the development
of optimal, personalized FODMAP dietary strategies tailored to the individual gut microbiome composition
and function of IBS patients.
A search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and Web of Science for
observational studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published between 2012 and 2025.
Search terms and keywords included IBS, FODMAP diet, gut microbiome, and gut microbiota.
Contrary to the prevailing belief that a diet low in FODMAPs has detrimental effects on gut health, scientific
studies show that such a diet can have beneficial effects on both gut and host health.
The scientific evidence presented in this narrative review supports the FODMAP diet as a personalized
precision nutrition therapy that can effectively restore, reinoculate, and rebalance the gut microbiome.

Keywords


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